Product Description

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Called to Rise charts how, over his thirty-three-year career, Chief David O. Brown evolved from a "throw 'em in jail and let God sort 'em out" beat cop into a passionate advocate for community-oriented law enforcement, rising from crime scene investigator to S.W.A.T. team leader to the head of a municipal police department widely regarded as one of America's finest. Now retired, "America's chief" wants to bring his hard-earned knowledge of Dallas-emphasizing outreach, accountability, and inclusion-to help encourage unity in the nation's hurting communities.

Publisher's Description

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The Dallas police chief who inspired a nation with his response to the killing of five of his officers shares his personal story and his faith in Americas potential to unite communities through a dedication to transparency and trust.

"The real deal: a real Christian, a real man, a real leader."Whoopi Goldberg, The View

"A front-row seat to the tension between law enforcement and minority residents nationwide."The Dallas Morning News

On July 7, 2016, protesters marched in the streets of Dallas to demonstrate against the killings of unarmed black men by the police. As the peaceful event drew to a close, a sniper opened fire, targeting white cops and killing five of them. Into this charged situation stepped Dallas police chief David O. Brown, who, with a historic new tactical approach, quickly ended the gunmans siege and calmed his community and the nation.

In this powerful memoir, Chief Brown takes us behind the scenes of that tragedy and shares intimate moments from his early life: his childhood, in which he was raised by a single mom in a neighborhood poor in resources but rich in love and faith; his college yearscut short when he felt called to save his hometown from its descent into drug-related violence; and, as he moved up the ranks, a series of deeply personal tragedies. His first partner on the job was killed in the line of duty; his younger brother was murdered by drug dealers; and during Browns first month as chief of police, his mentally ill son was killed by a cop after taking two other lives.

Called to Rise charts how, over his thirty-three-year career, Brown evolved from a "throw em in jail and let God sort em out" beat cop into a passionate advocate for community-oriented law enforcement, rising from crime scene investigator to S.W.A.T. team leader to the head of a municipal police department widely regarded as one of Americas finest. Now retired, "Americas chief" wants to bring his hard-earned knowledge of Dallasemphasizing outreach, accountability, and inclusionto help encourage unity in the nations hurting communities.

Chief Brown believes that we have to band together to engage in the kind of dialogue that can lead to solutions. In place of complaining, we all have to take actionand one first great step is to tune in to what is being said. Called to Rise explores the keys to that dialoguetrust, transparency, and compassionthat have made Brown a leader on the front lines of social change in America.

Author Bio

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David O. Brown is a thirty-three-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, from which he retired as chief in October 2016. Now a correspondent for ABC News, he is also an adviser for Texas organizations focused on positively influencing early childhood education efforts, mental health awareness and treatment, and assistance for formerly incarcerated persons. Chief Brown lives in Dallas with his wife and daughter. This is his first book.

Michelle Burford is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and a founding editor of O: The Oprah Magazine. She is a Harvard-trained journalist whose work has taken her to more than thirty-five countries on six continents. A native of Phoenix, Burford now lives in New York City.

Publisher Description

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The Dallas police chief who inspired a nation with his compassionate,
community-focused response to the killing of five of his officers shares his
story and a blueprint for the future of policing.

In 1983, David Brown was a young black man on a path to a bachelor's degree
at the University of Texas, but he changed paths in response to the epidemics of
drug addiction and gun violence in the Dallas neighborhood where he grew up. A
"throw 'em in jail and let God sort 'em out" beat cop in his early days, Brown
evolved into a community-oriented law enforcement leader and thinker, rising
from S.W.A.T. team leader, to internal affairs investigator, to chief of police.

On July 7, 2016, during a street demonstration against fatal shootings by the
police, a sniper killed five Dallas police officers. Chief Brown quickly ended the gunman's siege, calmed the community, and lent context for the rest of the
country. He even enlisted the help of protesters, inviting them to become officers. Within two weeks, 467 Dallas citizens applied.

Brown offers insights into that tragic day, as well as highlights of his 33-year career, from quelling riots, to reducing crime to 50-year lows and excessive-force complaints by 70%. He shares the intimate details of his personal story, including his marriage to another police officer, to the tragic deaths of his son, his brother, and his partner on the force.

Brown also outlines his community-based approach to policing. "The thing
about trust is that it's hard to earn, but easy to lose. I want to explore this balance of trust in depth as well as the other philosophies I've developed over three decades in law enforcement--and in life--to help police departments around the country and the world."

Editorial Reviews

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"The real deal: a real Christian, a real man, a real leader."Whoopi Goldberg, The View

"A front-row seat to the tension between law enforcement and minority residents nationwide."The Dallas Morning News